InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Someone To Watch Over Me ❯ Anguish ( Chapter 12 )

Chapter 12

~*~*~*~*~*Anguish~*~*~*~*~

Kagome awoke with a start, her scream breaking the silence of the night. She couldn't see, it was too dark, the night around her too suffocating. She couldn't hear anyone near her, couldn't sense anyone close. Her heart beat furiously in her chest, the rhythm dizzying, leaving her breathless and unsteady. She called out for Inuyasha and then for Sesshoumaru when no answer came from the hanyou. No one responded, no one was there…but then she heard footsteps. A too loud `snick' sounded behind her and the inky blackness was drenched in light too bright to see.

Kagome tried to raise her hands to cover her face only to find her arms restrained against her sides as though she were hugging herself. Looking down at herself, the expression of horror that crossed her face was mirrored by the sound of terror that broke from her as she struggled against the straight jacket binding her arms. She screamed and cried out for anyone, for Sango and Miroku, for Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, she even cried out for Kouga - anyone to help her escape this nightmare.

A voice sounded behind her, a voice that had haunted her for years, a voice that frightened her worse than Naraku ever had. Shiro stepped through the doorway of the tiny room, the light too bright for her to see anything more than his black silhouette. The closer he came to her the louder she screamed for help. He grabbed her, his hold on her arm punishing, inescapable. Something long and rubber was shoved into her mouth, it wrapped around her tongue and shielded her teeth.

Kagome

Shiro told her to stop fighting, told her that it was time for her treatment. The more she tried to fight him, the stronger his grip became, the more his hold hurt. It felt to her as though he was trying to break her arm with just the hold of his hand. She tried to scream through the strange mouth guard, tried to fight against his hold. A sharp painful slap to her cheek silenced her, her cheek cut from where Shiro's ring had cut her skin open.

Kagome!

She knew what the treatment was and she didn't want it. She had to get away, but she felt so weak. Even with the adrenaline coursing through her veins she felt barely able to keep up the fight much longer, but she had to, she had to get away.

KAGOME!

That voice! Her eyes searched around her frantically but she couldn't find it, she couldn't find the source of that voice. Trying desperately to fight against Shiro and the male nurse on her other side, Kagome screamed into the mouth guard again, her cries muffled greatly by the pliable rubber that tasted of soap and alcohol of cleaners that burned her tongue and stung her nose. Crying and kicking as she was lifted and tied down to a table, Kagome tried to scream again, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes as the small metal circles were affixed to her temples and the machine attached to them buzzed to life making a sickening scratchy crackling sound as electricity moved through it.

KAGOME! WAKE UP!

Miko, you must awaken! It is only a dream!

That second voice, she knew that one too but couldn't find the person behind it. How could this be a dream? It was too real! She felt the shock of the electricity as her muscles froze and her brain exploded in pain. Her body jerked, she couldn't even cry out anymore. She couldn't get away, she couldn't cry for help, she would die here.

Kagome please! Wake up!

The current grew stronger and the girl felt as though her body was being shattered down into its base molecules. Her bonds felt as though they were melting away seconds before she felt the darkness close in on her.

Kagome shot upright, screaming even as she choked for breath. Her head was pounding, her skin burning, her heart hammering an unsteady and all too fast staccato in her chest, beating against her ribs as though it wished to escape the confines of bone and flesh. Her hands shook, her whole body trembling violently. Arms closed in around her, warmth cascading over her as two voices promised her safety and comfort. Tears blurred her vision, blinded her. She could feel Inuyasha behind her, holding her tightly as he growled low to soothe her fear away. Her hands were clutching tightly to another hand and she bowed her head to see a snowy hand, magenta stripes and deadly claws.

Reaching out with his free hand, Sesshoumaru tucked her hair behind her rounded ear, smoothing her tears away with the pads of his fingers and thumb. Collapsing against Inuyasha as the adrenaline rushing through her veins seemed to disappear completely, the miko sobbed. Inuyasha rocked her, cooing softly to her his promise of protection as Sesshoumaru held her hands in his and promised the girl his protection as well.

Kagome struggled against Inuyasha's hold as sudden churning in her stomach twisted her insides mercilessly.

“I'm going to be sick,” she half whispered - half sobbed.

Helping her to the pot in the corner of the room, Inuyasha held her hair back and Sesshoumaru rubbed her back in slow soothing circles as she stood on her hands and knees. After a few moments of dry heaving and coughing, only to fall to the floor on her side when nothing came from her empty stomach, Kagome found herself ready to pray for death to take her. Scooping her up into his arms, Inuyasha carried Kagome back to the futon bed and laid her down gently on the feather stuffed, silk lined fur blanket.

“I want to kill that fucker,” Inuyasha snarled darkly, his voice too low for anyone but his brother to hear. “How dare he do this to Kagome!”

“Take caution, brother,” Sesshoumaru said, the timbre of his voice matching his brother's deadly quiet. “We still do not know how harming this sorcerer will affect your miko. You would not wish to cause her more harm than she is already experiencing, would you?”

“Keh! Of course not, baka. But I can't just sit here and do nothing either.”

“Whatever your decision, I will guard the Miko,” Sesshoumaru promised as Kagome stirred.

“Where am I?” Kagome asked, her voice catching on the tears that refused to be subdued.

“You're with us, Kagome,” Inuyasha soothed her as he rubbed her arms from shoulder to elbow, slowly, repeatedly hoping to ring her whatever comfort he could.

“A dream?” Kagome asked, her voice barely a whisper. A choked sob broke from her, the sound mixing with a harsh disbelieving laugh. “That was just a dream?!” Her hands fisted in her hair as she shook her head and swallowed a frustrated scream, the sound turning into a growl. “I'm losing my mind. How could it be a dream when it felt so real? I don't know how much more of this I can take.”

Inuyasha's eyes flashed red at the defeated sound of her voice. Tipping her face up to meet his golden eys, Inuyasha kissed Kagome's trembling lips. “I will fix this,” the hanyou promised her a steely edge to his voice. “I will fix this.”

Moving her gently from his lap and handing her to his brother, Inuyasha slipped Tetsuaiga through the waistband of his hakama and disappeared out of the headman's house. Sesshoumaru looked down at the human girl curled in his lap, held in his arms. She was frightfully thin. Unable to keep down the little food she was able to eat when awake; her periods of consciousness were becoming fewer and farther between. No matter how afraid she was to sleep, her body was too exhausted for her to stay awake.

Her eyes were still open, but they saw nothing, the girl trapped within her own mind as she relived her dreams. The taiyoukai growled low, the sound soothing her frayed nerves and she leaned heavily against him. Moving them both back to the futon bed, Sesshoumaru slipped under the blanket with her, holding Kagome against his side as she pillowed her cheek on his chest. Moaning softly and grimacing as a wave of pain shot up her back and into her head, Kagome tensed.

~_~_~_~_~_~

Inuyasha fairly flew through the forest as he ran with a speed he could never remember having achieved before. It was one thing for youkai and oni to attack them as a group, to be a physical threat to Kagome. But this man, this evil who was her uncle was threatening her mind, her very sanity. He was bringing her nightmares, corrupting her thoughts; bending reality to a place where she knew longer knew how to tell the difference between reality and her dreams.

His claws flexed, his knuckles cracking dangerously. His eyes continuously flashed between their brilliant gold and the dangerous blood red of his youkai. His need to protect Kagome, his mate, was entwined so deeply with his rage at this man for hurting her that all he could smell was the blood he would spill. His aura was beyond ferocious, deadly and dangerous; lower youkai who had been intent on killing this phantom hanyou running through the night stopped far from him. Nothing would dare to go near Inuyasha as he ran.

The sun broke the horizon as he came upon the well and jumped through the time portal to the other side. His ears twitched on top of his head as he ran from the well house and into the shrine grounds. The smells and sounds of the city that normally assailed him were dulled and drowned out by his bloodlust for the one who dared to bring harm to Kagome. All he could smell was Shiro, as faint as the human's scent was, Inuyasha could still smell him. In a blur of silver and red, the hanyou burst from the Shrine grounds, passer bys on the street knowing nothing of his presence save the odd gust of wind that passed them by.

From roof top to roof top, Inuyasha bounded, following the scent of Shiro as it steadily grew stronger. He was closing in fast, it wouldn't be long now before he would sink his claws into the human and tear his flesh apart, spill his blood.

I will protect you, Kagome. No matter the cost. Inuyasha promised her. I won't let that bastard hurt you anymore.

~_~_~_~_~_~

Kina searched through the forest surrounding Ginta and Ayame's estate looking for Souta. He had disappeared sometime the night before and she had yet to find him. It was well past lunch time and she was worried that she still hadn't found him. Where could he be? A cry of surprise broke from her as her foot slipped in wet leaves and she fell down to the land hard on the ground. Her hands landed in something cold, wet and sticky. Grimacing as she raised her hands to her face, her breath whistled out of her, her eyes widening in fright.

Blood covered Kina's hands and looking further down the edge of the embankment she had fallen on, she saw Souta lying so very still in the dried leaves. Kina's heartbeat sounded loudly in her ears, the pulsating staccato rhythm growing faster with each running step. She didn't hear herself scream for Ginta over and over. She didn't hear Ginta or Ayame call out her name as they came tearing through the forest after her.

Collapsing to her knees next to her son's too still body, Kina scooped the boy into her arms, turning him over to see his face. His left wrist was slashed open three times, dried blood making a ruddy brown half sleeve on his arm. Her blood covered hands grasped at his right wrist, his neck, even his temple searching desperately for a pulse. Screaming at Souta to wake up when she couldn't find a pulse, Kina cried, her heart shattering beyond repair.

She didn't know if it was minutes or hours that passed by before Souta was lifted out of her arms and she was cradled against Ginta's chest. Time held no meaning to her anymore. The forest turned into streaming colors as Ginta and Ayame rushed mother and child back to their home. Her daughter was being tormented by her brother and now her son was very likely dead and from the looks of it, his death was by his own hand. It was all just too much for her to take in.

Two words broke through her haze of anguish. Two words that promised her the world. Two words spoken by a voice she didn't recognize.

“He lives.”